Industrial Directory Reports Maine
Manufacturing Job Losses Slow

February 25, 2013 10:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

EVANSTON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Industrial employment in Maine dropped 1.4% over the past year according
to the 2013 Maine Manufacturers Register®, an industrial
directory published annually by Manufacturers’ News, Inc. (MNI)
Evanston, IL. MNI reports Maine
manufacturers saw a loss of 945 manufacturing jobs between December
2011 and December 2012, a smaller drop compared to the 1.8% decline MNI
reported for the state over the 2010-2011 survey period.

The industrial directory reports Maine is now home to 2,198
manufacturing companies employing 65,716 workers.

“Manufacturers in Maine have yet to fully recover from the recession,
and uncertainty surrounding defense contracts due to looming spending
cuts has affected hiring,” says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston,
IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since
1912. “However, the state’s low business costs, educated workforce, and
abundant natural resources continue to be a draw for new business.”

According to the industrial guide, transportation equipment is Maine’s
largest sector by manufacturing employment with 9,568 jobs, virtually
unchanged over the year. Second-ranked paper products account for 7,191
manufacturing jobs, down 3.9% over the twelve-month period. Food
products saw a 3.7% decline in employment, due partially to layoffs at
Barber Foods in Portland, and ranks third at 6,995 jobs.

Industrial sectors reporting gains over the year included
instruments/related products, up 7.6%; textiles/apparel, up 1.9%; and
industrial equipment, up 1.5%. Losses were seen in electronics, down
6.4%; lumber/wood down 4.9%; chemicals down 4.9%; printing/publishing
down 4.3%; stone/clay/glass, down 3.5%; primary metals, down 2.9%; and
rubber/plastics, down 2.5%.

Manufacturing companies opening in 2012 included lobster-processing
plant Sea Hag Seafood, which was established in the previously shuttered
Great Eastern Mussels site in Tenants Harbor by 23-year-old entrepreneur
Kyle Murdock. In addition, a second lobster processing plant is expected
to open in Rockland; industrial valve manufacturer Allagash
International recently expanded in South Portland; Great Northern Paper
reopened its mill in East Millinocket; and Procter & Gamble announced an
expansion of its facility in Auburn.

According to the industrial directory, Portland remains the state’s top
city for industrial employment, with 152 manufacturing companies
employing 5,143 workers, virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Second-ranked Bath accounts for 5,080 jobs, with no significant change
reported. Industrial employment in Westbrook increased 8.2%, with the
third-ranked city now home to 3,306 jobs. Auburn saw a 2.7% decrease in
manufacturing employment, and is home to 3,126 jobs, while fifth-ranked
Lewiston accounts for 2,279 jobs, down 4.4% over the past twelve months.

Detailed profiles of Maine’s 2,198 manufacturing companies can be found
in the 2013 Maine Manufacturers Register®, available in print
for $92, or available online through MNI’s industrial
database subscription service. Users may generate custom profiles of
manufacturers using a variety of criteria, including region, SIC, sales
volume, number of employees, and more. Each business profile provides up
to 30 facts, including vital contact information, 7,412 executives by
name and title, product(s) manufactured, and more.

Manufacturers’ News, Inc. is the nation’s oldest and largest publisher
of state industrial directories and manufacturers databases. For 101
years the company has identified, researched and profiled manufacturing
companies. MNI employs an 85-person editorial staff to scour business
registrations, trade journals, financial reports, and many other sources
to pinpoint every manufacturing establishment in the U.S. Each
manufacturer is contacted throughout the year to update their profiles,
including their employee counts. For more information, contact
Manufacturers’ News, Inc., 1633 Central St., Evanston, IL, 60201,
847-864-7000, http://www.manufacturersnews.com